The Subtle Sign The Queen Is Poised To Deliver Harry And Meghan A Major Blow

Yes, the Queen just threw serious shade at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The world collectively gasped last week when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were “stepping back” as “senior royals”. We then clutched at our pearls when Buckingham Palace rushed out a terse statement that indicated it hadn't the foggiest idea the couple were about to detonate quite so explosive a royal grenade.

Now, relative calm seems to have washed over the furore, with Prince Harry and Prince William quashing “false”, “offensive” and “potentially harmful” reports they’re in the midst of a brotherly feud, and Queen Elizabeth publicly approving of the young family’s decision to “carve out a progressive new role” as Sort-Of Royals.

In a statement, the 93-year-old expressed that she’d had “constructive discussions” about Meghan and Harry’s new path with the royal gang in Sandringham.

“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family,” the statement reads. “Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”

“Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives,” she added. “It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK.”

Queen Liz can't be stoked with the current furore. Image: Getty.Source:Whimn

Whoop! Megs and Harry have the green light to split their time between Canada and the UK while still working selectively on royal projects as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Thanks Nan!

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But while the fairly anodyne statement appears steeped with understanding, there’s one small clue that indicates the current arrangement is much more precarious than it might seem. It all comes down to the selective and pointed wording used by the Queen.

In her first direct mention of the couple, she refers to them as “Harry and Meghan”. If the question “so what?” just bubbled up in your mind, it’s important to note that in formal statements, the Palace always refers to royals by their official titles. Throughout the entire announcement, they’re only referred to as the “Sussexes” once. Last year, when it was announced that Prince Andrew would be stepping back from royal duties due to his questionable friendship with deceased convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, you can bet he was still referred to as “Duke” again and again by a royal spokesperson.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell announcement

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released an extraordinary statement, effectively quitting as senior members of the Royal Family.

Statements from Buckingham Palace aren’t sent out with Donald Trump Tweet-style flippancy. They’re pored over, examined, approved and tweaked by a team. The decision to not refer to Harry and Meghan as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, or as Her Royal Highness and His Royal Highness, is not a careless omission, it’s a pointed and deliberate warning.

The Queen holds the ultimate power to strip royals of titles if she so chooses and right now Meghan and Harry have a lot riding on the prestige and currency of being a Duchess and Duke. When the pair announced they’d be opting out of most royal duties last week, it was done so with an extensive manifesto on their glimmering SussexRoyal.com website, which outlines their plans to move forward as Sort-Of Royals. Their Sussex Royal Instagram page boasts over 10 million followers.

Their royal titles are entrenched in their “brand” as a couple. It’s their spin-off business of sorts and their future livelihood somewhat depends on it. Their regal prefixes afford them social stature and a gigantic platform from which they can now climb onto exciting new endeavours. Put simply, the pair clearly intend to go forth clutching onto their clout as the Sussexes.

By referring to them simply as Meghan and Harry, as though they’re nice folk who own a sandwich shop in Brighton, the Queen has sent a clear message she holds the power to diminish their titles. After a week of scandalous headlines, that - rightly or wrongly - could’ve been prevented had Meghan and Harry decided to broach the delicate situation with the family before unleashing it upon the world, it’s clear the Queen is keen to remind them it’s she who controls the strings here.

So would Liz really strip her grandson and wife of their titles? It’s highly, highly unlikely, regardless of the fact she might be hinting at it in her latest statement. When her uncle Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 so he could marry Wallis Simpson, he was still referred to as His Royal Highness and was given the Duke of Windsor title, so it would beggar belief if Harry and Meghan had their royal titles revoked.

The Queen finished off her statement by saying she hoped to have the “complex matters” resolved, and “final decisions” reached shortly. Stay tuned, friends, more pointed royal statements to come.